Setting Sail for Foreign Seas, Part Two

1,793 words

“Welcome, Fellow Daoist Qu. This one is Feng Sanniang of the Six Pillar Hall. I am responsible for overseeing the formation alongside the other esteemed cultivators.” A middle-aged woman, appearing around forty years old, rose to her feet and spoke with a gentle smile.

Though the woman could not be called a great beauty, she had a certain charm about her.

“So it is Fellow Daoist Feng. Qu offers his greetings.” Qu Hun spoke with neither humility nor arrogance, then led Han Li toward the table.

Han Li swept his gaze across the room, taking in the unfamiliar cultivators.

A middle-aged Confucian scholar of ordinary appearance, a charming young matron in her twenties, an old man with milky-white eyes, a youth whose entire body seemed to emit a faint reddish glow, and the woman calling herself Feng Sanniang—a total of five people.

The young matron was merely at the early Foundation Establishment stage, and she sat pressed closely against the Confucian scholar, appearing quite intimate. They were likely a Daoist couple.

As Han Li was pondering this, Feng Sanniang let out a delicate laugh and spoke again:

“Fellow Daoist Qu has arrived at just the right time. I was just discussing the variations of that ‘Six Avoidance Water Wave Grand Formation’ with the other fellow daoists. If we can practice it to fluency beforehand, I am sure everyone will be much more adept when we finally set up the formation.” Feng Sanniang was clearly skilled at dealing with people. With a few soft words, she quickly closed the distance between Han Li and the others in the hall.

“These two are Fellow Daoist Mao and his Daoist partner, Fellow Daoist Xue, distinguished disciples of Island Lord Zhan Tai of Tailstar Island.” Feng Sanniang gestured toward the Confucian scholar and the young matron as she made the introduction.

“Qu Hun? I know quite a few cultivators on Moonspirit Island. How is it I have never heard of you before?” The middle-aged Confucian scholar cast a cold glance at Han Li and spoke with a trace of arrogance.

For some reason, this Confucian scholar seemed to take an instant dislike to Qu Hun, opening with a remark designed to offend.

Feng Sanniang’s previously smiling expression froze for a moment, but she quickly recovered her composure.

“This one is not originally a cultivator of Moonspirit Island. I only recently arrived to visit my Junior Han, who has settled here. Is it so strange that you do not know my name? Besides, this is the first time I have heard yours as well.” Qu Hun retorted calmly, without a change in expression.

“You—!”

“Let me continue the introductions. This elder is Fellow Daoist Green Calculation, a reclusive cultivator from Gold Turtle Island. Though few know of him, his wood-element techniques are nearly unmatched among Foundation Establishment cultivators. As for Fellow Daoist Yan, he is even more impressive. He possesses a Darkflame Constitutions and has cultivated pure Yang true fire to an extraordinary level.”

The Confucian scholar’s face flushed with anger, but before he could say anything more, the woman quickly interrupted to steer the conversation elsewhere.

“Fellow Daoist Green Calc. Fellow Daoist Yan.” Qu Hun glanced at the old man and the youth, nodding slightly in greeting.

Though these two were also at the late Foundation Establishment stage, like the Confucian scholar, they gave Han Li a far more oppressive feeling. Their techniques were clearly of a different caliber. Han Li had no intention of offending them lightly.

“Greetings, Fellow Daoist Qu.”

“Yan offers his respects.”

Neither of them acted arrogantly; they returned Qu Hun’s greeting with smiles.

This only made the Confucian scholar more uncomfortable.

Before Feng Sanniang could say anything else, he suddenly stood up and said with a stern expression:

“I believe I will return to my cabin to meditate for a while. We can discuss the formation later.”

With that, he flicked his sleeve and strode out of the hall. The young matron cast an apologetic glance at the others and followed him out.

“Hmph! What is there to be so arrogant about, just because he has an island lord as his master?” The youth named Yan said angrily, his body glowing with a surge of red light.

The old man and Feng Sanniang’s expressions shifted slightly, but the old man quickly returned to an impassive face, while Feng Sanniang forced a smile and invited Qu Hun to sit down, clearly unwilling to dwell on the Confucian scholar’s behavior.

“I thought there were supposed to be six people. That Fellow Daoist Xue isn’t one of the formation’s overseers, is she?” Qu Hun asked frankly after sitting down without ceremony. Han Li stood quietly behind him.

“There is also a Fellow Daoist Dou from Dissolving Song Island. However, I heard he is in the middle of cultivating a powerful technique, so he will not be leaving his cabin for a few days.” Feng Sanniang explained with a smile.

“I see.” Han Li nodded and said nothing more.

Feng Sanniang, however, seemed quite interested in Qu Hun and kept asking him various irrelevant questions, which somewhat surprised Han Li, who was standing behind his puppet. He wondered what the woman’s true intentions were.

When she asked whether Qu Hun was familiar with the “Six Avoidance Water Wave Formation,” Qu Hun, following Han Li’s silent instructions, naturally denied it.

The woman then cheerfully explained that the others were also unfamiliar with it, and began to teach them the intricacies of the formation.

It was quite unexpected. Feng Sanniang was a rare formations master.

…

Although the Confucian scholar seemed to be at odds with everyone else, he returned to the hall the following day to listen to Feng Sanniang’s explanations of the key points for presiding over the formation. After all, the Six Pillar Hall had hired them precisely for this purpose.

After another three or four days, Han Li finally met the cultivator who had been in seclusion. He was a tall, bald man with a fierce face and a menacing appearance. Despite his looks, his speech and manner were quite straightforward, and he got along well with the others.

And so it went. After listening to Feng Sanniang’s lessons on the formation’s mysteries, Han Li and the others frequently had the sea vessel stop so they could fly out over the nearby waters and continuously practice the coordinated evolutions of the “Six Avoidance Water Wave Formation,” all in preparation for successfully capturing the demon beast and ensuring a satisfactory outcome for everyone.

This naturally slowed the ship’s progress, but the Six Pillar Hall did not seem to be in a hurry. Despite the constant stopping and starting, Feng Sanniang remained cheerful and never once urged them onward.

Once the group had thoroughly mastered the formation’s variations, Feng Sanniang wasted no more time and ordered the ship to proceed at full speed.

A month later, the ship finally dropped anchor and came to a stop beside an unnamed, barren island, several tens of li in size.

Led by Feng Sanniang, Han Li and the others disembarked.

The moment they set foot on the small island, a blinding golden light flew in from the horizon. It circled once in front of them, then dissipated to reveal an old man with a faint golden complexion. He stared at them without any expression.

There was no magical power fluctuation emanating from his body. He appeared either as an ordinary mortal with no cultivation at all, or as a cultivator of such unfathomable depth that he could conceal his aura completely. Han Li’s heart tightened.

“This subordinate, Feng Sanniang, pays respects to Elder Miao!” Feng Sanniang stepped forward without hesitation and bowed deeply to the old man, her expression one of reverence.

At this, Han Li and the others behind her, realizing who he was, quickly stepped forward to pay their respects as well. A Core Formation cultivator was not someone they could afford to treat lightly.

“No need for formalities. Feng Sanniang, you have done well. Bringing these helpers here in time is most commendable. Have they familiarized themselves with the formation? The demon beast we are about to face is a troublesome one. There can be no carelessness.” The old man spoke slowly, his expression unchanged.

“Rest assured, Elder. The fellow daoists have fully mastered the several variations of the ‘Six Avoidance Water Wave Formation.’ It will definitely be enough to trap the beast!” Feng Sanniang said with full confidence.

“Good. Fellow daoists, the Six Pillar Hall requires your assistance. If you all do your part well, this hall will certainly not treat you poorly.” Elder Miao’s gaze swept over the Confucian scholar and the others, and his expression softened slightly, becoming more amiable.

“Rest assured, Senior. We will do our utmost!” Before anyone else could speak, the middle-aged Confucian scholar was the first to respond, his face full of ingratiating smiles.

Seeing the scholar’s sycophantic display, the others showed expressions of slight surprise, but they could only offer their own perfunctory agreement.

Elder Miao seemed quite satisfied with their attitudes. He nodded slightly and continued:

“The grand formation was already set up half a day ago. You only need to go and preside over it. Elder Gu is currently in the nearby waters, harassing and chasing the beast. I will go and help him lure it here. I estimate that by tomorrow morning, we should be able to draw the beast into the formation. Then it will be up to you all. For now, rest a little on the island.”

With that, Elder Miao transformed into a streak of golden light and soared into the sky, vanishing from sight in an instant.

“You have all heard Elder Miao’s words. Let us rest for half a day and recuperate our energy. Tomorrow, we have a hard battle ahead,” Feng Sanniang said solemnly as she turned to face the others.

At this point, no one had anything to say. They all nodded in understanding.

But just then, the old man, Green Calc, who had spoken little during the journey, suddenly spoke up in a flat voice:

“Fellow Daoist Feng, over the course of our journey, we have repeatedly asked you what kind of demon beast we would be facing, and you have always refused to say. But we are to act tomorrow. Is it not time you gave us some details?”

Hearing this question, the others’ hearts stirred, and they all turned their gazes toward Feng Sanniang.

They had the same question. What kind of rare and ferocious demon beast was this, to warrant such a massive mobilization and careful planning by the Six Pillar Hall? An ordinary sixth-grade demon beast would hardly be worth such an effort.

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Reading Guide Decoding

The Silent Briefing: A Trap Assembled in the Dark

Cultural / Xianxia Notes

Contract Cultivators & The Six Pillar Hall Economy: This chapter showcases a recurring social layer in the Mortal Stream: the non-sect, independent Qi Condensation / Foundation Establishment cultivator who hires out for high-risk jobs. The Six Pillar Hall doesn’t draft these contractors like soldiers—it pays them in spirit stones, rare pills, and promises. But the risk asymmetry is baked into the deal: the Six Pillar Hall knows exactly what the beast is; the contractors have been fed a vague “troublesome sixth-grade beast.” This is not a partnership. It’s a transaction where the employer holds all the dangerous data. In xianxia, “contract cultivator” is a class marker: you are strong enough to be useful, but not strong enough to dictate terms or demand the full briefing.

The Six Avoidance Water Wave Formation: The name “Six Avoidance” (六遁) likely references the Six Directions or Six Void principles, combined with Water Wave (water-wave) nature, suggesting a fluid, trapping-type formation that uses water qi to ensnare and immobilize its target without directly damaging it. It is not an attack formation. Its purpose is containment so that a high-damage killing team (the elders) can finish the beast off at their leisure. In formation theory, each overseer is responsible for maintaining one axis of the trap, and if any one node collapses, the entire field weakens. This gives the chapter’s team-building a brutal subtext: every single contractor is a single-point failure for a grade-6 beast encounter.

Social Tribulation: The First Meeting: The Confucian scholar’s immediate hostility toward Qu Hun is a classic Mortal Stream social tribulation. He is not angry at anything Qu Hun said; he is testing rank. By challenging Qu Hun’s credentials at the very first greeting, he attempts to establish dominance over a rival whose background he doesn’t recognize. Han Li’s response—calm, non-escalating deflection—is textbook Mortal Stream survival. He refuses to waste capital on a social duel that provides no tactical or material gain.

Contract Cultivator

A freelance or independent Qi Condensation/Foundation Establishment cultivator hired for a specific high-risk task, often with incomplete intelligence, treated as a disposable asset by the employer.

六连殿

The name translates literally as “Six Connections Hall,” rendered as Six Pillar Hall; a major cultivation organization in the sea region.

筑基期

Foundation Establishment (Jīdàn) denotes the second major cultivation stage after Qi Condensation; cultivators at this stage can fly, use magical tools offensively, and preside over formations.

结丹期

Core Formation (Jīdàn) is the third major cultivation stage; Core Formation cultivators command far greater power, lifespan, and status, often serving as the strategic pillars of sects and halls.

Chapter Overview

What if your entire journey was a setup, and you only found out the destination when it was too late to turn back? This chapter is the Mortal Stream’s version of a heist crew assembling for a job—except everyone knows the target is terrifyingly dangerous, and nobody is sharing the full brief. Han Li, still operating under the cover identity of Qu Hun, has spent the past month practicing the “Six Avoidance Water Wave Formation” with his five fellow mercenaries. They arrive at a barren island, meet a Core Formation elder who acknowledges the plan is set, and are told the beast will be baited into their trap by morning. The tension here isn’t in the monster’s roar—it’s in the silence. No one has been told what they’re up against. And that’s exactly how the Six Pillar Hall wants it.

Key Plot Points

Han Li (as Qu Hun) arrives with Feng Sanniang and the other hired cultivators at the unnamed island where the trap has been pre-set.
The team consists of a middle-aged Confucian scholar (arrogant, secluded all voyage), a young matron pair, an old wood-element specialist called Green Calc, a Darkflame youth, the burly Dou, and the formations master Feng Sanniang.
The Confucian scholar openly antagonizes Qu Hun on first meeting, but Han Li’s puppet returns the jab calmly, establishing that this is a group of high-strung contractors, not comrades.
Feng Sanniang gradually reveals her role as an expert formations master, teaching the group the “Six Avoidance Water Wave Formation” intricacies over several weeks.
The Core Formation Elder Miao appears, confirms the plan, and reveals the formation is already laid—this wasn’t a scouting trip; it was a deployment.
Elder Miao and Elder Gu will chase the beast into the net tomorrow morning. The hired cultivators’ job is simply to hold the formation and keep the beast trapped.
Green Calc finally pushes for information: What exactly are we hunting? Feng Sanniang, however, remains evasive—sealing the chapter on an unanswered, ominous question.

Reading Guide

This is a slow-burn setup chapter, but don’t skim it. Every detail here matters: the dynamics among the six overseers, Feng Sanniang’s concealed expertise, the Confucian scholar’s desperate need for validation, and the deafening silence around what is actually in the water. The core tension is dramatic irony with a Mortal Stream twist—we know Han Li knows nothing, and everyone else knows just as little. That lack of shared intelligence is a ticking bomb. If you are new to xianxia formation mechanics, treat this chapter as a tactical table-setter: the next chapter’s payoff will land much harder if you track who is positioned where and who has a grudge. Also, note the geography: an island dozens of li across—this is not a fight on a narrow beach, but a large-scale sea arena. The beast will be powerful enough to need a mile-wide cage.